Lateglacial ice-cap dynamics in NW Scotland: evidence from the fjords of the Summer Isles region

The seaboard of western Scotland is a classic fjord landscape formed by glaciation over at least the last 0.5 Ma. We examine the glacial geology preserved in the fjords (or sea lochs) of the Summer Isles region of NW Scotland using high-resolution seismic data, multibeam swath bathymetry, seabed sediment cores, digital terrain models, aerial photographs, and field investigations. Detailed analyses include seismic facies and lithofacies interpretations; sedimentological and palaeoenvironmental analyses; and radiocarbon dating of selected microfauna. Our results indicate that the Pleistocene sediments of the Summer Isles region, on- and offshore, can be subdivided into several lithostratigraphic formations on the basis of seismic character, geomorphology and sedimentology. These are: subglacial tills; ice-distal and glacimarine facies; ice-proximal and ice-contact facies; moraine assemblages; and Holocene basin fill. The submarine landscape is also notable for its large-scale mass-movement events – the result of glaciodynamic, paraglacial or seismotectonic processes. Radiocarbon dating of marine shells indicate that deglaciation of this part of NW Scotland was ongoing between 14 and 13 ka BP – during the Lateglacial Interstadial (Greenland Interstadial 1) – consistent with cosmogenic surface-exposure ages from previous studies. A sequence of numerous seafloor moraine ridges charts oscillatory retreat of the last ice sheet from a buoyant calving margin in The Minch to a firmly grounded margin amongst the Summer Isles in the early part of Lateglacial Interstadial (GI-1) (pre-14 ka BP). Subsequent, punctuated, frontal retreat of the ice mass occurred in the following ～1000 years, during which time ice-cap outlet glaciers became topographically confined and restricted to the fjords. A late-stage readvance of glaciers into the inner fjords occurred soon after 13 ka BP, which calls into question the accepted limits of ice extent during the Younger Dryas Stadial (Greenland Stadial 1). We examine the wider implications of our chronostratigraphic model, discussing the implications for British Ice Sheet deglaciation, Lateglacial climate change, and the style and rates of fjord sedimentation.     

Validation of very high cloud droplet number concentrations in air masses transported thousands of kilometres over the ocean

The microstructure of orographic clouds related to the aerosol present was studied during the second Aerosol Characterisation Experiment (ACE‐2). Very high cloud droplet number concentrations (almost 3000 cm⁻³) were observed. These high concentrations occurred when clouds formed on a hill slope at Tenerife in polluted air masses originating in Europe that had transported the order of 1000 km over the Atlantic Ocean. The validity of the measured droplet number concentrations was investigated by comparing with measurements of the aerosol upstream of the cloud and cloud interstitial aerosol. Guided by distributions of the ratios between the measurements, three criteria of typically 30% in maximum deviation were applied to the measurements to test their validity. Agreement was found for 88% of the cases. The validated data set spans droplet number concentrations of 150–3000 cm⁻³. The updraught velocity during the cloud formation was estimated to 2.2 m s⁻¹ by model calculations, which is typical of cumuliform clouds. The results of the present study are discussed in relation to cloud droplet number concentrations previously reported in the literature. The importance of promoting the mechanistic understanding of the aerosol/cloud interaction and the use of validation procedures of cloud microphysical parameters is stressed in relation to the assessment of the indirect climatic effect of aerosols.     

Channel incision by headcut migration: Reconnection of the Colorado River to its estuary and the Gulf of California during the floods of 1979–1988

The macrotidal Colorado River Delta at the northern end of the Gulf of California in Mexico is hydrologically complex. We review historical accounts, data, field notes and photographs to evaluate the hydrological processes active on the delta prior to the advent of upstream dams. We also employ satellite imagery as well as recent LIDAR data to illustrate the critical role played by headcut erosion in restoring the river's fluvial/tidewater connection during the 1979–1988 floods. Prior to human manipulation, the river's contribution of fresh water to the Gulf was periodically interrupted by natural overflowing, avulsing, and flooding into the sub-sea level Salton Sink on the north slope of the delta plain. River flow south towards the Gulf was also subject to occasional overflow into Laguna Salada, another sub-sea level basin. In the mid-20th century, the Delta was disconnected from its fluvial supply following installation of upstream dams and reservoirs. A tidal sediment obstruction developed in the estuary channel, forming a final barrier to fluvial connectivity. Release of Colorado River floodwaters into Mexico between 1979 and 1988 provided a natural experiment on the hydrological response of a long-disconnected macrotidal delta to restoration of fluvial supply.     

Applying a science-forward approach to groundwater regulatory design

Hydrogeology Journal - Groundwater sustainability is challenged by the difference between legal and scientific understanding of groundwater, as well as the lack of focused attention to regulatory...     

Planning for resettlement: building partnerships for,by, and with Indigenous peoples

Efforts in the United States to plan or implement relocation in response to climate risks have struggled to improve material conditions for participants, to incorporate local knowledge, and to keep communities intact. Mixed methodologies of community geography provide an opportunity for dialogue and knowledge-sharing to collaboratively diagnose the challenges of climate adaptation led by communities. In this article, we advance a participatory practice model for the co-creation of knowledge initiated during a two-day workshop with members from the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe from Isle de Jean Charles in Louisiana, Yup’ik people from Newtok Village in Alaska, and researchers from the MIT Resilient Communities Lab. Building on prior scholarship of indigenizing climate change research, this article shares the experience of the workshop to support knowledge exchange and dialogue, with the goal of understanding how to build participatory and non-extractive community-academic partnerships. We reflect on the community values and principles used to guide this workshop to inform more inclusive and co-produced research partnerships, and pedagogies that can improve and assist the self-determination of groups impacted by climate change. Workshop presentations and discussions highlight interconnected themes of resources, systems & structures, regulatory imbalance, and resilience that underpin climate resettlement. We reflect on the narratives presented by members of both Indigenous tribes and NGO partners that illustrate the shortcomings of resettlement planning practices past and present as perpetuating existing inequality. In response to this structured knowledge exchange, we identify potential roles for community-academic partnerships that aim to improve the equity of existing resettlement models. We propose approaches for incorporating traditional knowledge into the pedagogy, discourse, and practice of academic planning programs.

     

Characterizing hydraulic conductivity with the direct-push permeameter

The direct-push permeameter (DPP) is a promising approach for obtaining high-resolution information about vertical variations in hydraulic conductivity (K) in shallow unconsolidated settings. This small-diameter tool, which consists of a short screened section with a pair of transducers inset in the tool near the screen, is pushed into the subsurface to a depth at which a K estimate is desired. A short hydraulic test is then performed by injecting water through the screen at a constant rate (less than 4 L/min) while pressure changes are monitored at the transducer locations. Hydraulic conductivity is calculated using the injection rate and the pressure changes in simple expressions based on Darcy's Law. In units of moderate or higher hydraulic conductivity (more than 1 m/d), testing at a single level can be completed within 10 to 15 min. Two major advantages of the method are its speed and the insensitivity of the K estimates to the zone of compaction created by tool advancement. The potential of the approach has been assessed at two extensively studied sites in the United States and Germany over a K range commonly faced in practical field investigations (0.02 to 500 m/d). The results of this assessment demonstrate that the DPP can provide high-resolution K estimates that are in good agreement with estimates obtained through other means.     

Radon distribution in groundwater of Taiwan

Radon levels were surveyed in 517 monitoring wells constructed in five major groundwater areas of Taiwan. The radon concentration in groundwater samples varied in a wide range from below the detection limit of 18 pCi/L up to 1,100 pCi/L. A worldwide comparison of reported groundwater radon levels was conducted. Overall radon levels in Taiwan groundwater are relatively low compared to other countries because the geology of Taiwan is mainly comprised of sedimentary rocks. Among the 517 wells monitored, only five wells were found with radon concentrations higher than 500 pCi/L. These five wells are all located near the Chaochou Fault in the Pingtung Plain. This study suggests that well sites near the Chaochou Fault could be good locations to monitor radon anomalies for earthquake prediction and should be avoided for developing domestic water supply. In the recharge area near the Chaochou Fault, the radon concentration in groundwater from shallow wells was approximately 1/2 to 1/4 of that from deep wells in the same cluster.

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Resumen Se investigaron los niveles de radón en 517 pozos de monitoreo, construidos en las cinco mayores áreas de agua subterránea de Taiwan. La concentración de radón en las muestras de agua subterránea varía en un rango amplio, desde inferior al límite de detección que es 18 pCi/L hasta 1,100 pCi/L. Se realizó una comparación a escala mundial de los niveles de radón reportados en agua subterránea. En general los niveles de radón presente en el agua subterránea de Taiwan, son relativamente bajos comparados con otros países, puesto que la geología de Taiwan está compuesta de rocas sedimentarias. Entre los 517 pozos monitoreados, solamente en cinco se encontraron concentraciones de radón mayores a 500 pCi/L. Estos cinco pozos están todos localizados cerca de la falla ChaoChou en la Planicie de PingTung. El presente estudio sugiere que los pozos cercanos a la falla Chaochou, podrían ser buenos sitios para monitorear anomalías de radón para la predicción de terremotos y deberían evitarse para los desarrollos de abastecimiento de agua potable. En la zona de recarga cerca de la falla Chaochou, la concentración de radón en agua subterránea obtenida en pozos someros, fue aproximadamente de &frac; a &frac; de aquella en pozos profundos ubicados en el mismo sector.

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Résumé On a mesuré les taux de Rn dans 517 forages ouverts dans cinq aquifères majeures de Taiwan. Les concentrations en Rn couvrent un domaine très large, à partir de valeurs très basses, au dessous de la limite de détection de 18pCi/l jusquaux valeurs assez grandes de 1100pCi/l. On a mené une analyse comparative avec des valeurs mentionnées en littérature. Par report aux valeurs mesurées en autres pays, les concentrations en Rn en Taiwan sont asses basses, compte que la structure géologique de Taiwan est constituée surtout par des roches sedimentaires. On a trouvé des concentrations au desuss de 500pCi/l seulement en cinq de 517 forages investigués. Tous ces cinq forages se trouvent au voisinage de la faille de Chaochou dans la plaine de Pingtung. Cet étude suggere que les forages situés près de la faille de Chaochou peuvent bien monitoriser les anomalie de Rn pour la prédiction des séismes mais doivent être évités lorsqil sagit de lalimentation en eau potable. Dans la zone de recharge près de la faille de Chaochou les concentrations en Rn mesurées dans les puits peu profondes representent 1/2-1/4 de ceux mesurées dans les forages de profondeur.